Th rough these objectives, USDA will strive to:
• Expand international trade for agricultural products
and support international economic development;
• Expand domestic marketing opportunities
for agricultural products and strengthen risk
management, the use of fi nancial tools, and the
provision of sound information to help farmers and
ranchers in their decision-making process;
• Further develop alternative markets for agricultural
products and activities;
• Provide fi nancing needed to help expand job
opportunities and improve housing, utilities and
infrastructure in rural America;
• Enhance food safety by taking steps to reduce the
prevalence of foodborne hazards from farm to table
and safeguard agriculture from natural and intentional
threats;
• Improve nutrition by providing food assistance and
nutrition education and promotion; and
• Manage and protect America’s public and private
lands working cooperatively with other levels of
government and the private sector.
http://www.ocfo.usda.gov/usdasp/sp2005/sp2005.pdf
Much of it seems to overlap other federal bureaucracies. There is so much redundancy in federal departments. No wonder we are drowning in debt.